Welcome to OCIA

The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults is the contemporary interpretation of the ancient Catechumenate of the Early Church Fathers (especially St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Ambrose of Milan, and St. Clement of Alexandria).

The process of incorporating new members into the Church has, from the earliest days, always consisted of a gradual process marked by stages of growth. 

Today the Holy Spirit continues to call souls to deeper union with Christ through His Church. God draws us to Himself in the same way as He did in the early Church: a gradual process marked by stages. 

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Inquirer

The first stage of the Catechumenate is the informal period of Inquiry. People who are curious about the Catholic Church will endeavor to seek answers to personal questions and "feel out" whether this call is where the Holy Spirit is leading them. As the Inquirer seeks deeper understanding and relationship they approach the first gate: The Rite of Acceptance. 

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Rite of Acceptance

The celebration of this first liturgical rite, wherein the Inquirer makes a formal act of faith to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Inquirer is accepted into the Order of the Catechumenate, and enters a new stage of growth. During the Catechumenate, the budding disciple learns the nuts and bolts of our eternal salvation, the doctrines of the Catholic Church. This period of thorough study and apprenticeship in worship, Christian living, and prayer leads to the second gate: The Rite of Election.

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Rite of Election

This celebration with the local Bishop enrolls the new believer into the Book of Life and sends the Elect into the Period of Purification and Enlightenment. Imbued with the Bishop's blessing to complete this final stage of preparation, the Elect intensify their desires for Christ and orients his life to cooperate with God's Will. Typically congruent with the season of Lent, this period is less about studying the teachings of the Church and more focused on the practice of faith: rejection of sin and devotion to prayer. The end of this period is normally signified by the Three Scrutinies which challenges the Elect to look more closely at their lives and find more space of Christ to water our souls, heal our blindness, and bring us back from the dead (cf. John 4,9, and 11). 

At the end of this period comes the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation, which are normally done at the Mass for Easter Vigil.

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Sacraments of Initiation

Through the waters of Baptism, the anointing of Confirmation, and the reception of Jesus' Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist, the neophyte Catholic disciples are finally welcomed completely into the Family of God and Mystical Body of Christ. The Divine Encounters of the Sacraments are an extraordinary gift of God to assist every Christian for the collective mission of offering pure worship to God, and proclaiming His glory to the world for the salvation of souls. 

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Mystagogy

The neophyte is then called into the Mystagogy stage where, as full members of the Church, they continue to learn and grow in holiness and discipleship. This period is a strengthening of the bonds of friendship between these new members and the greater community in order to establish the Christian way of life with Jesus as the model